Morning.
The ringing of a phone shattered the silence, waking the sleeping boy.
Ye Feng opened his eyes, yawned, grabbed his phone, and answered the call.
"Good morning, little Mafuyu…"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.
Then came two words—cold enough to pierce the bone.
"…Humiliating."
Kirisu Mafuyu silently bit her lower lip.
"Hurry up and get out of bed."
"No, I'm still sleepy. Unless little Mafuyu comes over…"
Beep, beep…
With an icy expression, Kirisu Mafuyu hung up the call.
Calling her little Mafuyu over and over again…
How humiliating!
She took a deep breath, deciding to ignore him.
Stepping out of her room, her gaze lingered on the door next door. She hesitated.
Knock, knock.
After a brief pause, Kirisu Mafuyu pursed her lips and knocked anyway. Her expression was cold, distant—like someone keeping others at arm's length.
Ye Feng opened the door, his eyes lighting up.
Standing outside was a beautiful woman dressed in a professional suit.
It was none other than little Mafuyu.
No exaggeration—little Mafuyu was the best in the world!
Waist-length cherry-pink hair, straight bangs, and braided sidelocks framing her face.
Tall and slender, long legs, perfectly proportioned. Thanks to her past training in figure skating, her body possessed a natural flexibility.
In front of students, she usually appeared in dark professional attire—a tight skirt and black high heels. In private, she mostly wore her red high school tracksuit. As for underwear and swimsuits—mostly black.
…Don't ask how he knows.
Kirisu Mafuyu tried to maintain her authority.
"Since you're awake, don't be late today either."
"Yes! With Mafuyu-sensei's personal wake-up service, I guarantee I won't be late!"
"…Humiliating."
Kirisu Mafuyu pressed her lips together and turned to leave.
Ye Feng reached out and grabbed her wrist.
She froze, panic flashing across her face, and immediately shot him a glare as cold as winter itself.
Ye Feng calmly released her wrist and said seriously,
"Mafuyu-sensei, it's still early. You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Come in and eat with me."
Terrible at housework and even worse at cooking, Kirisu Mafuyu usually survived on instant noodles or convenience store bento boxes.
In the mornings, it was almost always cup noodles—or bread from the convenience store.
Ye Feng absolutely could not accept that.
"I've already eaten—"
She tried to refuse. As a teacher, how could she freeload food at a student's place?
Knowing her personality well, Ye Feng cut in immediately.
"Omurice. Come in. Now."
"… "
Footsteps sounded nearby. To avoid misunderstandings, Kirisu Mafuyu clenched her teeth, swallowed her pride, walked inside, and closed the door behind her.
"I've already eaten breakfast."
She sat upright on the sofa, posture perfectly straight, lips pressed together.
"Then eat a little more."
"…Humiliating."
She bit her lip and unleashed a death glare that usually made people shiver in fear.
Ye Feng was completely unfazed.
He had long realized that Kirisu Mafuyu was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. They had known each other for over a year now.
So he wasn't afraid at all.
She knew that too—and had no way to deal with him.
Of course.
There was also a very important reason.
Ye Feng wasn't an ordinary person.
He was an esper—one who had awakened a psychic ability known as "Idealistic Phantasm."
Kirisu Mafuyu had once been saved by him…
After a series of events, burdened by guilt, she accompanied Ye Feng during his lowest period and came with him to Sobu High School in Chiba.
And then—
Ye Feng pulled himself together.
But Kirisu Mafuyu had to pay quite a price.
Including several things she considered… "humiliating."
Like providing wake-up calls. Or lap pillows.
So their relationship was actually very close.
But teacher and student—
Absolutely forbidden!
Kirisu Mafuyu sat properly, glancing at the busy figure in the kitchen. Something crossed her mind, and her expression softened slightly.
"I heard there was another anomaly last night. Ye Feng… will the Boundary really not affect reality?"
Ye Feng paused slightly.
"It won't…"
In truth, the Boundary's invasion of reality had never stopped.
But he had no intention of telling her that. Which was why Kirisu Mafuyu never truly understood how serious things were.
Still, she wasn't stupid.
From subtle clues, she had already sensed something.
She pressed her lips together, her voice suddenly low.
"Ye Feng… is all of this really real?"
She had once seen a city reduced to ruins.
Under a blood-red moon.
A dead, desolate urban wasteland that sent chills down the spine.
She had also seen terrifying monsters descend—before which humans were as fragile as ants.
Because she had experienced despair and witnessed horror, Kirisu Mafuyu understood just how hard-won this peaceful world truly was.
"It's real."
Ye Feng's voice grew serious.
"Because I am the Demon King. Wherever I exist, disaster follows. To offer the world its final—"
Her expression hardened.
"That's enough. Go brush your teeth!"
You ask the question, then you're the one telling people to shut up—aren't you way too domineering?!
Just because you're pretty and a teacher doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!
After washing up, Ye Feng went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
A year ago, he had returned to Chiba City.
He currently lived here.
Because the Sky Rift was located above this city.
Also—
Ye Feng believed himself to be the Demon King who brought disaster. It sounded a bit chuunibyou, but there was a reason.
So far, anomalies had only appeared after his powers awakened. There might be a connection.
Of course, there was another possibility—
Only after gaining powers did he become qualified to touch the truth.
But no one knew the real answer.
After eating the delicious omurice, Kirisu Mafuyu hurried off.
As a history teacher, vice principal's assistant, and club advisor, she was extremely busy on weekdays.
Ye Feng tidied up and headed toward Sobu High School.
The sky was blue. The sun shone brightly.
It was cherry blossom season, and the scenery along the way was beautiful.
Blooming sakura filled the air with a faint floral fragrance.
Even the industrially polluted air of modern times seemed cleaner for it.
Pedestrians passed by, coming and going.
Everything felt peaceful.
Except—
Ye Feng looked up, his black eyes narrowing slightly.
The blue sky was suddenly split apart by a grotesque, terrifying black裂—an unsettling sight.
The Sky Rift.
The reason he had returned to Chiba City.
Aside from him, no one could observe it. Like an illusion, the world remained peaceful.
The Sky Rift was the strongest proof of the Boundary's invasion into reality.
"Waaah…"
A child's crying drifted over on the wind.
Ye Feng snapped back to attention.
At the first intersection, he saw a little girl crouched by the wall, crying softly.
A ghost.
An existence invisible to ordinary people.
His gaze shifted to the roadside, where flowers left to honor the dead had been kicked everywhere.
Nearby, three young men were cursing loudly.
"Damn unlucky. Running into this crap first thing in the morning. Tch!"
As he spoke, he stomped down hard, crushing what lay beneath his foot.
The other two followed suit.
Cursing as they scattered the offerings everywhere.
Passersby kept their distance. Not a single person dared to intervene.
And no one noticed—
The crying little girl by the wall was beginning to emit an ominous aura…